Promote Your Blog With Free Online Video

By Author: Jim DeSantis
Total Articles: 103
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Bloggers are a unique sort. They are rather independent minded and, many times, opinionated. That's the great thing about blogging - the right to do whatever you like online. But bloggers, like web site owners, need traffic in order to get their message out and that's where video is one-size-fits-all.

Blogs have literally taken in the Internet by storm. It seems as if just about everyone has a blog. Blogs are so popular that it there is a good chance that you have one. While blogs can be a labor of love, it is sometimes difficult to get them seen. Many blog owners, maybe even you, are unsure about how to generate more Internet traffic. Luckily for you and other blog owners, there is one major resource that you can use to increase the number of page views that your blog receives. That resource is free video hosting on YouTube, Google Video, and Yahoo Video - the Big 3! They generate millions of potential viewers each and every day from around the world.

The first step in getting traffic to your blog is to make sure that you have an interesting topic for a video. If you are writing about your personal experiences, ...
... you may find that not everyone wants to read about them, that is unless you lead an adventurous life. However, if you blog on a wider range of topics, such as working from home, saving money, or being a good partner, you are automatically likely to get a bigger audience. This is because more Internet users, especially ones that you do not know, would be more willing to read information on these topics, rather than your daily adventures or lack of adventures.

Before making your video go to YouTube, Google Video and Yahoo Video and look around. Find out which videos are popular about your chosen topic. Study them. See how the best ones are put together and simply follow the same patterns. There is no need to reinvent the wheel and get super fancy with your first video. You'll get better as you do more and more videos. Practice really does make perfect.

When you are ready, you will have to gather some tools to make your video. You will need a recording device. The best devices to use include camcorders and web cams. When making your online video, it is important not to make your video sound like a sales pitch or like spam. You simply want to entice people to visit your blog for more detailed information. It may be a good idea to state the purpose of your blog and what can be found there. You may also want to record yourself or someone else visiting your blog to showcase your blog's features. You could also take still shots, also commonly known as screen shots. These shots will allow you to post pictures of your blog pages. Having those pictures float through your online video is a great way to show Internet users what your blog is all about.

One of the most effective video techniques is to offer something free in your video to entice people to visit your blog. You can give them a free report on your topic, for example. In fact, your video can give highlights of the free report so they have to click through to your blog to get it from you.

Once you have finished making your video, you will need to upload that video to your computer. Once your recording device is hooked up to your computer, it should be recognized by a moving making software program. These programs will not only allow you to save your video, but edit it as well. Once your video is saved, you will need to follow the uploading directions for each online video website that you would like your video or videos to be uploaded to.

To attract search engines, a well thought out video title will give search engines something to index that will lead people to your video and your video should lead them to your blog by having your blog URL at the beginning, middle, and end of your video.

In the event that your video gets indexed by a search engine, you will find that your blog's traffic should automatically increase. This is because a large number of Internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. They will find your video and be directed to your blog via the URL in the video.

If your video is entertaining and offers something of value to the viewer, you should start to see an increase in your blog's traffic so it's definitely worth the effort. With most video websites being free to use, there is no risk associated with promoting your blog with free online video hosting sites like YouTube, Google Video and Yahoo Video.

Jim DeSantis is an Internet Publisher and former TV News Editor. For a detailed "YouTube" tutorial visit Jim's blog and click "YouTube Traffic Tutorial."